Expect to see a more composed Mark Kavanagh if, as expected, Atlantic Jewel wins Saturday’s $220,000 Top Cut Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley. The Flemington horseman was overcome by emotion after the champion mare completed a successful return from injury in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on 31 August, reports Racing Victoria.
It was the five-year-old’s first start in a race after 16 months on the sidelines.
Having seen the unbeaten mare return as good as went out, Kavanagh is in a much calmer frame of mind and won’t be anywhere near as uptight for Saturday’s event.
“I did (feel the pressure) last week, but there’s none of that this week,” Kavanagh said at a media call at his Flemington stable. “I’ve got over that, we’ve got her back, we’re through injury and ready to go.”
Part of Kavanagh’s composure might relate to the fact Atlantic Jewel appears to have the Stocks Stakes at her mercy, installed the $1.10 favourite in the TAB’s opening market.
Kavanagh had the option of running in the Stocks Stakes or the $300,000 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes – both weight-for-age events over 1600m – and said the mares-only Stocks was much more suitable assignment.
“Being 70 weeks between her last run and two weeks ago, I’ve taken the softer option just looking to the future and making sure we have her right for later on in the Carnival,” Kavanagh said of the five-year-old, the $3 favourite for the Sportingbet Cox Plate.
“The situation is, you’ve got to look after the horse and make sure you don’t do too much with them too early, so I think it’s in the horse’s best interest to take the softer option.
“It’s gently, gently when you’re getting these horses back and the art is not putting too much pressure on too quickly.”
Making the decision even easier for Kavanagh was that he has Super Cool heading to the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes.
The star four-year-old continues his progression against the boys in the feature event, which will be his first start since a finishing third to his stablemate in the Memsie Stakes at his first start since winning the Group 1 Australian Cup in March.
“He’s progressed and he’s on his way nicely,” Kavanagh said of the gelding. “He’s improved lovely since his last start.
“We’ll probably see him running on pretty strongly on Saturday over the mile, but certainly he’ll be better once he gets out to longer trips.”
Super Cool (barrier seven) is the TAB’s $3 favourite for the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, marginally in advance of the Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente ($3.30), who will start to his immediate inside.
Among the others engaged in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes are defending champion Happy Trails (three) and Ajeeb (five) – both $7 – last-start Caulfield winner Lidari ($8, one) and the unbeaten Desert Wizard ($13, six).
Oasis Bloom (three) occupies the $15 second line in Stocks Stakes betting, while Bec Said No Credit (seven), a winner of her past three starts, is the $17 third elect. Atlantic Jewel will spring from barrier two.
The 1600m events are not the only Group 2 contests on the Moonee Valley program with Group 1 winners Moment of Change and Platelet headlining a $175,000 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes (1000m) that also includes Snitzem, General Truce, Freereturn and Kuroshio, among others.
The Group 2s will be run as Races 4,5, and 6 on the Valley program, which commences at 12.20pm, with fields for all races available via the link